Product Reviews

Town several high end IEMs. I enjoy these the most. Full body enjoyment with great dynamic range that immerses me fully into the music.. Most engaging. Great build and engineering.

Claims to be lovingly crafted with the finest components and manufacturing techniques. However, there is an audible channel imbalance. I am really disappointed in the craftmanship of the product together with its qc. Measured the unit with an IEC 711 coupler and found that there is a 2db imbalance at the sub bass region. For a product this caliber i would have expected less than 1db of channel imbalance.

This is the best in ear headphones ever made, the sound is out of this planet, the are built like a tank and they are very expensive. They will also last a lifetime. Driving them with fiio ka5, great sound.

I’m happy I bought it a couples weeks ago and enjoying it!

I bought it because the design is fantastic and the sound quality really give me a good experience.

I like the sound quality, but it had a bit heavy when putting in the ears, easy to run out from the ears.

Sony has been a market leader in consumer electronics for years and I own several Sony items. I saw these ear buds and the initial reaction was the exorbitant price but I was still interested as music is my stress relief. I read reviews and almost all were positive with only one common concern, fit. I decided to invest in a pair and I am thoroughly satisfied. I wasn't aware ear buds could deliver this level of sound definition. The fit is fine on these as well. I have sat through several two to three hour listening sessions and they are quite comfortable . I highly recommend these IEM's and guarantee you will be pleased with their clarity and overall separation and depth of field.

I purchased the IER-Z1R's about a month ago along with an NW-WM1AM2 (Walkman) and couldn't be happier with my purchase. What an amazing pair. I also have a pair os Shure 846's but these Z1R's are next level good. I would still consider myself a hifi beginner and it took me a few weeks to land on the right ear tips. I am so thankful these headphones came with a heap of options. I always just wore an "M" ear-tip but after weeks of wear, I settled on the "MS" in the included silicone tips. They make the earbuds fit perfectly. I have had NO comfort issues and am extremely happy with the fit. I just love them. Kevin Tan from the Sony Store @ 313 Sumerset was a tremendous help and very patient as I took a week or two to make my decision.

I bought this a month ago, and I am very happy. Congratulations my music.

I bought this under preorder during Lazada sales. Took 1 month to fulfil the order. Was it worth it? Yes. Bought at a discount and the item was exactly what I expected Don’t have much experience with IEM In comparison with my old trusty XBA-Z5 it was considered a major upgrade in terms of sound clarity But take note. When paired with WM1AM2, it doesn’t perform well with Low quality mp3. I had to re-rip files from decade ago from 192kbps to at least 320kbps, as it’s quite punishing if the source file is low quality, which unlike my old NW-ZX2 + XBA-Z5 which sounds ok I like the shiny chassis but it seems prone to scratches. The cable on the other hand sucks. It tangles a lot and the memory wire doesn’t stay in position. Sony could have added a titanium wire to hold the shape for better fit The layout is thoughtfully arranged like a jewellery box which is a plus point. It gives a premium feeling and wow factor when opening it I hope Sony will start creating Bluetooth OLED LCD remote. I think this is the only thing that’s lacking to make the listening experience perfect

I’ve had the IER Z1R iems for about a year now. They are a blast and finally satisfy my itch for that awe-inspiring sound. Old cds I have are thrilling to listen to again. I choose the Z1Rs over my B&W N802s and Krell amp for all my listening. The build quality on these is incredible. And if you’re into the whole unboxing thing I don’t believe there’s a better packaging for IEM‘s out there . I have found the large silicon ear tips that came in the package fit the best, with a perfect seal and very little ear fatiguing.Note That the ear phones are rather large and if you have small ears it could be a problem. The Sound: Bass is the best I’ve heard. There is a mid range dip affecting male vocals. Compared to the Sennheiser‘s IE900 the z1r’s bass is still better. The difference is mostly noted in classical music that include double basses, pipe organs, tympanis, etc. They are about equal when it comes to just thumping music. The sound stage is actually wider on the Sennheiser‘s but not necessarily better. The Z1Rs have a very good soundstage. Male vocals are better on the Sennheiser‘s. I own focal clear mgs (I know it’s not a fair comparison) But I rarely use them because the Z1Rs are always in my ears. I have a bunch of high-end true wireless headphones that sound great, including Sennheiser‘s, bang and Olufsen‘s, sony xm4. But they can’t compete with the IER Z1Rs.

Was using XBA-Z5 for 7 years and recently spoiled and decide to buy this IER-Z1R , really enjoyed with the sound ☺️

These are likely if not truly the best IEM's on the market today. The sound quality is truly beyond words. Euphoric. These also compliment my Sony NW-WM1Z perfectly. Your engineer(s) truly knocked this product out of the park. And I'm honored to own such beautiful products from Sony's Signature Series assortment.

Pleasing improvement on my shure 535 and 846. But then so it should be, I guess. Issues such as Bass bias addressed by other users are for me mostly dwarfed by the differences in recorded sound; all classical, Bruckner symphonies to Byrd virginals. Need to get the right fit for the earbud is paramount. For me the impressive rubber and silicon hybrid ranges provided by Sony were of little use. Comply 200 in 'medium' for my ear canal was just right. Good sound isolation, firm but not disproportionate bass with Hugo2. Certainly the bass is clearer than one is expecting in-ear, but that doesn't make it biased. Perhaps it's more programme dependent than I am allowing for.

Soundstage is pretty wide and bass response is great

Couldn't resist the hype so I bought these blind. Very technical, super bass and treble but i get better mids from my 64audio Nios. On the whole I'm extremely pleased with them. The fit is fine for my ears. Fit has been a concern for some people. My Nios are more comfortable.

Really nice detailed sound and bass. Although the foam inside the nozzle can degrade overtime and affect sound frequency, that's the only downfall of this IEM. Wish Sony would provide additional filters for replacement.

I brought this and has been testing for the past few week the sub-Bass is really punchy but no overly bright. Sound stage is wide and the female vocal is pretty airy.

I happy to own this iem,it really a very good iem that can keep for many years to come thanks Sony

After the trial in headphone retail store, I take it home after 1 week review on my own earphone collection, the Z1R produce signature sound atmosphere is unique and surprise me. The IMPEDANCE of this earphone not high BUT not easy to drive unless you have high power player. And the earphone have little bit heavy and larger, not quite suitable for lady to wear.

Though I didn't have buy or touched this product but when it comes to sound quality I truly believe that " there is no man-made sound quality in the World who can beat the Sony's Sound quality till yet"....

Over price and sound which I was expecting not good

To be honest i was first impressed by the performance and sound quality IER-Z1R. I put to the test with the MDR-Z7M2 since its using 70 mm driver to see how well it compete with the largest driver with the best bass. And it doesn't disappoint me in exceed my expectation and next the MDR-Z1R still the same it has better bass compared to these two headphones i compared this using the gold color Walkman at Sony wisma atria. This is my first time in life owning IEM and a did the right choice in buying these. Sound everything is almost perfect please try before buying you will be amazed especially if you used it with dolby atmos devices or sony 360 audio.

I have the big brother MDR and really enjoyed that and I wanted this IER for travel purposes and I have to say this beats the MDR in every way possible. The MDR is brilliant in every way but this IER just takes everything the MDR has and makes it even better. Now I can’t go back to MDR anymore and that’s just sad

These in ear monitors are incredible in the way that they convey a sense of presence in the audible field. The phase coherence coupled with superb bass definition put them ahead of even the MDR Z1R. They are large in the outer ear and can be sore if not positioned carefully but the aural reward is amazing.

Highly defined sound, realistic sub-bass focus and spacious imaging capabilities.

I'll try to keep this brief. The IER-Z1R is miles ahead of every other IEM (and most full-size cans) I've ever heard. They either match or surpass in just about every category. They are extremely resolving and well extended in the highs and lows. The sound is extremely wide, three-dimensional, and immersive. This is a hybrid done correctly! For my preferences, the bass could be a tad bit tighter/faster and the mids a little more forward. From a sonic perspective, they are as close to perfect as I've ever heard. The build is simply luxurious. However, the fit isn't going to work for everyone but if you're patient with tip rolling I'm sure most people can get a good fit. Below is an alphabetical list of IEMs I either own, have owned, or have demo'd. The Z1R easily bests them all in overall sound presentation. I can't see how anyone could give the Z1R less than 4.5/5 stars. --- REFERENCE LIST --- --- Currently Own --- Audeze LCDi4 Dita Audio Dream Sony MDR-7550 Sony MDR-EX1000 Sony IER-Z1R --- Used to Own --- Astell&Kern AK T8iE MkII Audio-Technica ATH-E70 Audio-Technica ATH-IM02 Audio-Technica ATH-IM03 Campfire Audio Andromeda Campfire Audio Jupiter Campfire Audio Solaris Campfire Audio Vega Dita Audio Fealty Fidue A91 Sirius FLC 8S Noble Audio Kaiser Encore Noble Audio Katana Noble Audio Savanna RHA T20 UE 900s VSonic GR07BE -- Demo'd -- Campfire Audio Atlas Meze Audio Rai Penta Noble Audio Khan Sony Just Ear

Z1R and WM1Z is a perfect match that produce superb sound quality

It was indeed beautiful when I just unwrapped it, like jewelry. However only few days later there is a scratch on the edge. It is apparently NOT as hard as how the web page advertised. Meanwhile the sound quality is very normal with the 3.5mm cable, like most of the few hundred dollars product you see on the market. It is a trap that Sony wants you buy the whole set of this serious. But I am not going to step into in. It's good but does not worth 2000 dollars. IT DOES NOT.

Exceptional good and I have heard “them all”. Very analytical AND emotional at the same time, when did that happen last time? Highly recommended! Triceps

Bought it at the recent CanJam Singapore show, manage & lucky to get the last unit on Sun 31 March with the designer signature. Tried many IEM but still like the Sony Z1R sound stage and overall sound, price is slightly on the higher side but with the build quality & sound its worthy. Been listen for the past 2 days and it grow more & more to me, no regret to get this IEM.

IER-Z1R sound very clean, details, organic and dynamic. Treble is smooth with perfect extension with layering and awesome bass. It seems much better than the demo i heard in the hifi show last year.

you can hear EVERYTHING in this in ear headphone but dont expect 50mm drivers bass but he has an awelsome bass for his tinny driver

Please lunch with low price for mid family. It my dream earphone. I most like it